Colder Than Ice
by ElvenSheildmaiden
Summary: Aralin is female Elf who likes fighting more than most females. But she has a dark secret. When she joins the Fellowship, will she accept help for once or go back back to old habits? Better than it sounds! ok, its a Mary-Sue...LOC
1. Disapproval

**_Summary:_ Aralin is a female Elfliving in Mirkwood. She's not much of a lady and she likes fighting Orcs more than doing girly stuff. But she holds a dark secret, one she hasn't been able to share with anyone. When she joins the Fellowship on their doomed quest will she be able to accept help when it is given? Or will she fall back into old habits? It's better than it sonuds!! Really!! And I will die before this story turns into a Mary-Sue!! Aralin is in no way a perfect Elf. She's based on me, and I'm definitely not at all perfect.**

**_Disclaimer_: I don't own any of Tolkien's characters, I just steal- I mean borrow..yeah, that's right...borrow them when it suits my evil purposes. But I always give them back. looks around nervously Almost always...**

**This is my first fic on this site, so please be nice. And if you _must _flame,just knowthat I'll only use them to make flaming arrows which I'll shot right back at you. You were warned.**

**_Chapter 1_**

The leaves barely made a sound as Aralin leaped through the trees. The pursuing Orcs trampled noisily through the woods, making their presence known with every step. Then again, unlike Aralin, they weren't trying to mask their presence. They were over confident in their size, strength and numbers. And that would be their downfall.

Satisfied with the distance she put between herself and the Orcs, Aralin notched and arrow to her bow and let it loose. In the space of a few seconds, she had shot 7 arrows, and all 7 had hit their mark. Slinging her bow over her shoulder, she jumped to another branch before the Orcs could discern her whereabouts from the arrow attacks. She saw a shorter tree in front of her and in a seconds time, gauged the distance of the jump she would need to do in order to safely make it on the tree. Without hesitating, she gathered her strength and leaped in the air. The tree was shorter than her last perch by about 15 feet, and as she flew through the air, doubts began to surface. What if she misjudged? What if she didn't make it to the tree and fell, injuring herself and making easy prey for the Orcs? But as soon as the doubts surfaced, she pushed them back. There was no room for emotions or doubts in battle. As her feet touched the tree's branch, she couldn't help but emit a small sigh of relief. In one smooth motion, she notched an arrow to her bow and shot. Within moments, no less than 12 Orcs were dead, hit by her stream of arrows. Not wanting to waste precious ammunition, she stepped off her branch and proceeded to free-fall to the earth. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she crouched and held the hilt of her blade at the ready. The remaining Orcs didn't wait to attack her. She let them surround her in a large circle before she even looked up. When she did look up, a look of fierce determination was in her emerald eyes.

"Look what we 'ave 'ere boys!" one of the Orcs called out. "An Elf wench, w'o thinks she can fight! I wonder if she can even use that blade in 'er 'and! Don't think she even knows 'ow t' unsheath it!"

In a fluid motion, she unsheathed her sword, using her momentum to spin her in a circle as she did so, slicing the first line of surrounding Orcs in half at their waists. The remaining Orcs backed up in shock, but got their bearings back and lunged at her. She blocked the stroke of one and twisted her sword so the Orc was defenseless and she stabbed him quickly in the gut. Turning, she slashed up at another, who didn't even have time to block before he fell dead. Letting her momentum move her, she twisted and slashed down at another unlucky Orc, nearly slicing him in two. An Orc managed to get behind her and swung his sword down to attack, when she pivoted on the ball of her foot and easily dodged, delivering a clean slash to his mid section. The remaining four Orcs ran at her with a swiftness she didn't know they possessed. Taking no chances, she grabbed a small dagger and threw it at the closest Orc, killing him instantly. The last three she killed with quick stabs and slashes. Finally, when all the Orcs were dead, Aralin began the time consuming task of taking them all and making a pile, so their remains could be burnt.

After setting fire to the dead Orcs, she wiped her blade on the grass and started the long trek back home. Her father wouldn't be too pleased when he found out where his eldest daughter had been for the past 3 hours. He hated the idea of his daughter patrolling for Orcs, hated the idea of her running around the woods in a tunic and leggings, hated the idea of her fighting and killing when she could be doing so many other "productive" things with her time, such as singing and dancing and cooking. .

Aralin didn't understand why her father was so strict with her. It wasn't as if she were the only daughter he had. She had a younger sister, Anariel, who was just like every other Elf maiden. So it wasn't as if he failed at raising a daughter. Aralin didn't think it was so bad that she felt much more comfortable in a tunic and leggings than he did in a dress. She didn't think it was so bad that she enjoyed practicing her skills with weapons than dancing.

By the time she got back to Rivendell, the sun had just begun it's descent from the sky. She knew her father would be worrying about her, so she decided to see him first before changing into more suitable clothing that wasn't stained with Orc blood. "Adar!" (Father) Her father rushed out of his chambers to see her, and stood in shock when he did.

"By the Valar!" he gasped. "What happened!?" Aralin looked herself over and shrugged.

"I ran into some Orcs."

"Are you hurt?"

"No, they couldn't even get close enough to touch me." she replied, unable to help the pride she felt coming out in her voice. Her father sighed.

"Aralin, why do you insist on gallivanting off to fight Orcs? You are not a man! You are a female!"

"What does it matter if I am male or female? Why can't you be proud of me? I just slaughtered a host of Orcs without getting injured, with no help from anyone else, and all you can say is how I should stop fighting Orcs because I'm female?! I'm stronger than most men in Rivendell!"

"I am proud of you, but I am proud of you as a father is of a son. I wish to be proud of you as a father is of a daughter. You are my daughter! Not my son! And I think of your future. What man would want to marry a woman who can shoot an arrow better than he can!?"

"Adar, didn't it occur to you once that I don't care about marriage? I have no need of a husband. I do not wish for children. I only wish to travel all of Middle-Earth. Go places where no one else dares to go. Having a husband and children will only slow me down."

"Aralin, I only want the best for you. I do not wish to hear about your death in some unnamed country at the hands of some fell beast. I only want you to be happy and safe."

"But Adar, I am most happy when I am not safe and you do not seem to understand that." with that said, she bowed her head respectfully and went to her own chambers. She passed her sister, Anariel, and for a moment, tears threatened to spill from her eyes. All elves were beautiful by nature, but her sister's beauty rivaled even that of the Evenstar's. Her hair fell in golden ripples down her back, and her eyes sparkled like sapphires. She wore feminine dresses and always had a smile upon her face. Aralin was almost a complete opposite. And she had always been jealous of Anariel for possessing what she herself lacked. She never looked nearly as beautiful and feminine in a dress. She always managed to look like a male Elf in disguise as a female. Her own ebony hair had none of the waves her sister had. It was all too straight and plain. And Anariel had _curves._ Aralin's figure was hard, angular, and slightly muscular whereas her sister possessed just the sort of soft curves that made her incredibly appealing to the opposite sex. Anariel had already been involved with a few male Elves, she had already been kissed. Aralin was older than her by a few centuries and she had yet to be embraced in a more than congenial way.

Yes, she was jealous. It was a jealousy that she kept deep inside herself, but at times it seeped to the surface. And she hated herself for it. What sort of a sister was she?

"I overheard you and Adar." her sister said softly. Even Anariel's voice was soft and beautiful.

"He has never approved of my actions. Our conversation was not a new one." her own voice sounded gruff and manly when compared with her sister's. _Stop that! She is your sister and you have no right to be jealous!_

"Perhaps if you made an attempt to please him. Wear a dress once in a while. Let your hair loose. Be more feminine!"

"I shouldn't have to do any of that for him to be happy with me! He should be happy no matter what I choose to do!"

"He loves you Aralin! As do I! We only want what is best for you!" Anariel cowered slightly under her sister's furious gaze.

"And how would you know better than I what is best for me?" she hissed. "I, and I alone, know what is best for me!" with that, she stormed past Anariel and closed the door to her chambers. Once she was alone, she took a deep breathe and composed herself, pushing all her emotions aside, as she always did. Warriors had no need for useless emotions. She sat on her window seat and stared out at her beautiful city. She stared out her window blankly until she felt the familiar beginnings of sadness sneak up on her again. Her throat felt thick with repressed sobs and her eyes stung with tears unshed.

As she sat there, she wished for, more than anything, someone to embrace her. Some one to listen to her, someone who would not pass judgement on her. What she wanted was a friend. In all her long years, she never really had a true friend, one she could trust with all her secrets. And she knew why. She could never bring herself to become truly close with anyone. She wanted solitude while at the same time she wanted friendship. It was a situation she had dealt with for much of her life. But it had become much worse since-

No. Aralin shook her head, banishing the thoughts that would consume her if she let them. Never think of that. A knock at her door startled her and she looked up. Her sister was standing in the doorway, apprehensive about entering. Aralin sighed. "Come in."

"No, there is no need. Adar wished me to inform you that your presence is required in a council tomorrow."

"A council?" her brow furrowed. "What sort of council?" Anariel shook her head.

"I know not. Lord Elrond said your particular knowledge would be needed." she closed the door and left, leaving Aralin to her thoughts. A council? How odd. Just then, a movement outside caught her eye and she looked out the window. A group of Elves were entering Imladris.

**I can't live without reviews. They make my world go round. So please review!!**


	2. Midnight in the Garden of Lonliness and ...

**_Disclaimer: _Seeing as the illustrious Mr. Tolkien didn't leave Legolas to me in his will, I guess that means I don't own him. Evennthough we do get together every Friday night for my weekly archery lesson. Anyway, the point is, I owe nothing so you can't sue me. Even if you did, you wouldn't get much.**

**_A/N_: Wow!! Thre replies! Thanks guys! I really appreciate it! I'm glad that you want to read more of my story! Oh, and I was just wondering...jut what is the official definition of a Mary-Sue? I thought it was an OC that was annoyingly perfect and gets everything she wants. But I discovered it might mean something elses entirely. So, before this story accidentally become a Mary-Sue...what the hell is a Mary-Sue??**

_**Chapter 2**_

The clash of swords and the screams of dying men were all around her. Aralin swung her blade and cut down another Orc. Her limbs ached but she had no time to think of her own exhaustion. All her thoughts were focused on survival, for herself and everyone who lived still. Rushing forward, she ran an Orc through and quickly looked around, searching for someone. With a grim smile, she spotted him. Her best friend and love, Tatharion was fighting fiercely and she could see where the Orcs had gotten through his defenses. His face had a long gash running from his forehead to about mid-cheek and the hair on the back of his head was caked with blood. Aralin sliced through a few Orcs so she could get to him. Fighting by his side always made her feel stronger, more powerful. She was about to hack through another Orc when something smashed into her face and all she felt was pain. It didn't take her long to regain her wits and continue fighting. She looked around once more, and as she did, she heard a scream which drowned out everything else. All the sounds of battle had disappeared and in their place was this awful, agonized scream.

Aralin sat up in bed with a gasp. She took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. It was the dream again. She thought she'd put it all behind her. Obviously not. With a sigh, she climbed out of bed and dressed in a midnight blue tunic with black leggings and a pair of soft black leather boots. She tied her waist length hair into a braid, buckled her sword to her back and jumped to the ground from her window. Her father would no doubt hear her if she left through the front door and the last thing she wanted was for him to follow her, as she knew he would.

The she-Elf walked to the gardens, finding refuge in the branches of a large oak. She leaned back against the trunk and closed her eyes, relishing the feel of the warm breeze on her face. After a few moments enjoyment, she opened her eyes and looked up at the higher branches of the tree, her eyes pleading. She turned around, now facing the trunk and placed a palm on the rough wood. Aralin waited, each second that past bringing her closer and closer to tears. She took her hand away from the tree before she lost control of her emotions and leaped lightly back down to the ground. Why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve it? She glared accusingly at the moon, wanting to blame everything on someone. But there was no one to blame but herself.

A noise stopped her in her tracks. Instinctively, she tensed and moved into a defensive position, listening carefully. It was a voice. A Human voice, at that. Curious, she crept closer, parting the bushes to have a better look at who was there. It was Arwen and Aragorn, standing had in hand, looking deep into each other's eyes.

"You cannot give me this!" Aragorn exclaimed.

"It is mine to give to whom I will. Like my heart." Arwen's clear voice said. Aralin immediately walked quietly away. She had no business spying on them during a private moment. It was common knowledge that the daughter of Elrond had fallen in love with a Man, and the Man in question was Aragorn, Isildur's heir, known as Estel to the Elves of Imladris. It was also common knowledge that Elrond did not exactly encourage their relationship. Aralin wondered why they bothered to try to be together when it was such a problem. They had countless obstacles in their way. Was Arwen really willing to give up eternity just to be with him? It seemed silly to give up so much, to die, for love. It just wasn't worth it in Aralin's opinion. She could understand dying for a cause, dying to protect one's home or one's family. But to condemn yourself to death for love , as Arwen was doing, that was utter stupidity!

Not too far ahead, Aralin saw Frodo, sitting by the fountain. He seemed lost in his thoughts, but he looked up when she came close. She nodded a greeting to him and he nodded back, neither in the mood to speak or be in the presence of another. Without another glance towards the Hobbit, the she-Elf left the garden. There were too many others there. She wanted to be completely alone. Stopping at the stables, she woke her mare Daewen, and hopped on her back. She took off at a gallop and didn't stop until they were out of Imladris, in the surrounding woods. She was sure to be alone there. She sat at the base of a tree and stared at everything around her; the grass, the plants, the trees. She was surrounded by nature and yet...and yet she felt so distant, detached from everything.

Frustrated, she got up and unsheathed her sword, going through several combinations, using just as much strength and speed as if she were battling real enemies. Her stabs and slashes were being executed faster and faster until the sword was a blur in her hands. Sweat dripped down her face and she roughly wiped it away with her sleeve, refusing to stop until she could no longer move.

Three hours later she was still going, though with significantly less speed than before. Her tunic was black with sweat and some strands of hair had fallen loose of her braid and fell into her face. Her breath was coming out in short gasps, but she still continued to weave her sword through the air, like a dance. Aralin often thought of herself as a Sword Dancer, because the movements she made to fight were graceful and fluid, like that of a dancer. And battles could be compared to dances as well. What did you do when fighting against an opponent, but synchronize your movements and go through learned and practiced steps? She much preferred Sword Dancing to any other kind of dancing, that certain.

The sky was lightening and Aralin reluctantly stopped. It was nearing dawn and if her father called for her and she wasn't in her room she would be spending the next fifty years working as Elrond's maid, a task she was not up to carrying out. Mounting Daewen, she asked her loyal horse to get back to Imladris as quickly as her legs would carry her. The mare obliged, breaking immediately into a fast gallop. Aralin began to panic a bit as the sky got lighter and lighter. She hadn't meant to go so far. And she hadn't meant to stay away so long.

With only a few precious minutes left until dawn, the she-Elf walked Daewen around the stables a few times to cool her off after the long run and when that was done, she immediately ran back to her home. She jumped up to her window, unbuckled her sword and climbed under the covers to hide the fact that she was fully clothed and sweaty. She was pretending to still be in the dream-state that was the Elven equivalent of sleeping when her father knocked on her door.

"Aralin, it is time to wake. Elrond has asked for your presence at a council today."

"Yes Adar." she answered, relieved that he didn't come into her room as he sometimes did. She got up and readied a bath. Something told her it would be a very long day. But she felt an excitement that was unusual for her. It was only a council after all. How exciting could it possibly be?

**Reviews are always appreciated and looked forward to. Flames will be used to make flaming arrows which I will shoot back at you. And I'm getting pretty damn good at archery thanks to my Friday night lessons with a certain Elf...So once again You Were Warned.**


	3. Time To Thank The Reviewers!

Alright, here's my "Thank the Reviewer" page!!! Woohoo!!!! Ok..here we go...

**_daydreamer8301_**: Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the first chapter and I really hope you enjoy the second chapter too..and the third ad fourth and, well, you get the idea. : )

**_Jedi-Girl8900_**: first off...love the name. I'm a huge Star Wars geek. I'm one of those sickos who goes to the theater on the first day the movies out dressed up as a Jedi. And I dressed as a Jedi for Halloween. But anyway, it's great that you think my writing is good. Hopefully it will keep being good and you'll keep reading and reviewing!

**_Lyf_**:: great start? Why thank you! And I really want this story to go far. It always annoys me when writers stop their fics after the first chapter. I mean, what's the point in putting in all the work uploading if you're not planning to follow through with another chapter? sigh but yeah, I definitely plan to continue writing this, so I hope you continue reading!

**_beautystar_**: awesome? My story? Really? blushes Wow, thank you so much! I'm going to turn into one of those annoying conceited people now because I now know that my story is awesome. Nah, just playing around. I really appreciate that huge compliment! Keep reading and hopefully I'll be getting more compliments from you!

**_Legolaslover_**: I love him too. Don't we all? It seems that a lot of people think my story had a great start! I'm so thrilled that you think so. I really didn't think that so many people would even read my story, much less review it. Thank you very much for your kind words, I really appreciate them, and I won't make you wait too long for the next chapter. Don't worry. And thank you for explaining to me what a Mary-Sue is. I was wrong. My story is in fact a Mary-Sue, and I'm glad that doesn't bother you because I want you to keep reading!

**_X2 Aeon Darkness IX_**: I'm so happy that you think it's really good!!! And don't worry...I will absolutely do my best to keep it up. I wouldn't want you to get disappointed or anything. : )

**_ugly you_**: Um.....I actually wasn't implying that I was ugly, because even though I did say that Aralin is based on me, I never wrote that she was ugly. All Elves are beautiful and she's no exception. She's just not the most beautiful. In fact, I'd say as far as Elves go, her looks are average. But anyway, thanks for explaining what a Mary-Sue is. As I told Legolaslover, I am now aware that my story is a Mary-Sue, but don't worry. I'm gonna try to make it unique and different than the others. I hope you keep reading to see how my story develops.

_**Irael**_: Well, since you gave me such a long review, I'm going to write you a very long thank you, addressing some of the constructive criticism you gave me. Your definition of a Mary-Sue was extremely thorough and I really appreciate that. I am proud to say that now I know _exactly_ what a Mary-Sue is. And my story happens to be one. It took me a little while to accept it because all this time I've been thinking that Mary-Sues are bad things, that they're perfect characters who aren't realistic and who are really annoying. But they're not so bad after all. And yeah, I am writing this as a way to live out my fantasies, but not just the "I want Legolas" fantasy. I love the entire LOTR universe and this is my attempt to become a part of it, not just to be with Legolas. So with that being said, you can rest assured that I will not, under any circumstances, intentionally change the way a character acts. Which means there will be no angry, jealous Legolas, nor wimpy, pathetic lovesick ones, no one dimensional bad-guy Boromirs, or anything like that.

I know that saying "You were warned" is not proper grammar. I used this particular phrase because of a cartoon character named Foamy who is a favorite of mine. He says that in an episode and I was hearing his voice in my head when I wrote it.

_"They were over confident in their size, strength and numbers. And that would be their downfall." _Yeah, I know I could have made it into one complete sentence, but I kinda liked the way it sounded in my head when I wrote it, so I threw grammar-caution to the wind and made it two short sentences.

You know, I really never realized that "orc" isn't supposed to be capitalized. I just figured that since "Elf" and "Dwarf" was that I should capitalize it too. Go figure, thanks for pointing that out.

And as far as the orc's way of speaking goes, I took it from the movies. Ever notice they all have those kind of accents? And I know that this is supposed to be fanfictions about the books, but I can't help but include a lot of stuff from the movie too, since it's fresher in my mind. Don't get me wrong; I have read the books, several times, but I'm a very visual person and the movies just stuck more in my head than the books.

_If you're concluding a sentence being spoken, the action of her replying would start out with a capital S._ Thank you! You have no idea how long I've been wondering about that. Sometimes I capitalize it, but mostly I don't because it seems to me that authors, at least in the books I've read, don't usually capitalize after a character has spoken. But thanks so much for clearing that up. : )

_No offense, but the whole "I'm a warrior she-Elf who doesn't want to marry" is totally unoriginal. Even the Elf maiden that is a Tomboy has been overused_. I know, I know. Trust me I know. But I really wanted to write a fanfiction, and I couldn't bring myself to write about a very feminine Elf because I relate more to an Eowyn type character than an Arwen type. I dunno, that's just me. I'm sorry if you think it's boring, but I just can't write about your average Elf maiden. It's just not me.

_" 'He should be happy no matter what I choose to do!"'_ Does it really make her seem immature? I didn't think it did. My opinion is that, yes, if she were to dabble in any of the aforementioned 'careers' that her father should be happy, because if that's what she really wants and it makes her happy, it can't be too bad. Well, ok, I can see how her being a prostitute or an assasin could get a bit iffy, but that's not what she wants to do, so that really shouldn't even be used as an example.

Loneliness? Okay, thanks! I'm usually good at spelling, don't know how I missed that one...

Well, like I said, I'm a very visual person and I like my readers to be able to clearly picture everything I write, including the clothes. I know I don't have to, and I shouldn't, but what can I say? Guilty pleasure. And I love the clothes in LOTR so much I can't help but think of my own outfits and describe them to everyone so they can picture what my characters look like. I was a fashion design major in high school, I'm into clothes. I can't help it.

And you're right. "Tied" really doesn't make as much sense as your suggestions. I'll keep that in mind.

"_Try "beneath the branches of a large oak." It is more clear that she isn't in the tree_" That's a great suggestion, but the thing is...she_ was_ in the tree. I probably should have made it clear that she jumped up onto a branch and didn't sit beneath the tree. Sorry about that!

And she could tell it was a human voice because Elves are supposed to have very musical, melodic voices, making a human's voice sound gruff in comparison so I figured it would be quite easy for an Elf to tell a human voice.

And I'm sorry that "she-Elf" bothers you but I was trying to think of different ways to refer to her instead of just repeating "she" and "Aralin" because that sounds redundant. I suppose I can just use "Elf" instead but then if she's in the same room with another Elf, how will I be able to refer to her without using "she" or "Aralin"? Any suggestions you may have would be much appreciated.

Yeah, I know Elves are not supposed to tire, but I figured I could change that one fact for my story. It makes it more interesting, at least in my opinion. Now that you bring it up, I'll think on it some more.

_"She hadn't meant to go so far. And she hadn't meant to stay away so long."_ Jeez, you're right. I should have combined them.

Thank you for the compliment! I'm so happy that you think my writing is good, I really am. My writing shows talent! That means I'm good at something! That made my day. And yeah, there are _so_ many 10th walker stories, but I really wanted to make one of my own. It's my dream to join the Fellowhsip so I really have to do a 10th walker, if only for me to live out a fantasy. I'm really sorry if this disappoints you in any way. But don't worry! The next fic I write will NOT be a 10th walker! The next one I write will definitely be original! If you decide you don't want to continue reading this story, then that's fine, even though I would hate to lose such a thorough reviewer, but I promise that the next thing I post will be better, and I hope you read that one. And that little scene you wrote had me cracking up. Yeah, I've read way too many of those, which is another reason why I feel I have to write a 10th walker. I need to know that there is at least one Mary-Sue out there in fanfictionland that isn't just the normal "Girl all over Legolas and ignoring the rest of the Fellowship while she ruins events and characters and completely twists the plot of LOTR" I do not, repeat DO NOT want to write one of those and I want to know that at least _my_ story isn't like that. I know there are probably others that are not the normal Mary-Sue, but I haven't stumbled across any.

And like I said, my next story will be, to use your word "exceptional". And I did find your review extremely helpful and thanks for the well-wishes! I appreciate it and I too, hope I never suffer writers block. Thanks so much for taking the time out to write me that review! And I really hope you keep reading my story, though I'll totally understand if you don't.

**_To everyone who read but didn't review_**: Don't think I've forgotten about you!! Thank you so much for reading my story, even if you didn't review I still appreciate and love you all! I would love you more if you reviewed though. Just a simple "I like it" or "It sucks" is fine with me. I just want to hear from you!


	4. The Council of Elrond

hey! It's been a while since I last posted and I'm sorry about that but my mom didn't let me use the computer for a while. But I'm back, and with a new chapter! hopefully you'll like this since it's sort of a strange mix between the book and the movie, though mostly the movie because I didnt have the time or energy to write most of what the book said. anyway, if you don't like it, my next chapter will be better. I just had to get this out of the way.

**_Disclaimer:_** It's a shame, but I don't own anyone but Aralin and the items that she owns.

_**Chapter 3**_

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom."

Aralin sat in a chair next to Aragorn and couldn't help but wonder what this council was supposed to be for. There were Elves from another place, Mirkwood she'd overheard, Men from Gondor, Frodo the Hobbit, Mithrandir, and a group of Dwarves. She couldn't help but scowl slightly when she looked upon them. _Dwarves_, she thought. _What right have they to be here?_ _Filthy, disgusting creature_s, _all of them. How could Elrond allow them to dirty our land under their feet?_ Aralin sighed inwardly and tried not to keep looking at the Dwarves with disgust.

"Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." The Hobbit stood and walked to the pedestal, where he placed a golden ring, and sat down again. The Men began to murmur amongst themselves and everyone's eyes were drawn to the ring. Aralin found herself unable to look away from it. She wanted the Ring, wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything. All she had to do was reach out and take it. She found herself unconsciously reaching out and she quickly pulled her hand back, embarrassed that she had been so easily seduced by the power of what, she knew now, must be the One Ring. It shocked her that after all this time the Ring had been found and was sitting not ten feet away from her.

"So it is true..." One of the Gondor Men, named Boromir, said.

"Indeed." Gandalf said. "The Ring of Power has been found. It was given to Frodo by his uncle Bilbo, who is known to those in Imladris. Bilbo came across it during his journey in the company of the Dwarves through the Misty Mountains. The Ring has been in his possession until quite recently, when I had cause to believe the Ring was more than it appeared to be. I had the thought to travel to Minas Tirith, to search through the library there for any information on the Ring. There I found an account written by Isildur describing the Ring and I knew then that it was that same ring which had been in Bilbo's keeping for so long. Before I could leave Minas Tirith, however, word came to me from Lorien that the creature Gollum had been found and had been brought to Mirkwood, where the Elves were keeping him. This was welcome news, but foremost on my mind was Frodo, as he had no knowledge of the One Ring being in his possession. His safety was most important to me, so I sent him on his way, and now here we are, deciding what is to be done with the Ring."

After Gandalf's tale, there was a period of silence, where everyone was pondering the circumstances which led the Ring to Rivendell. Boromir was th first to break the silence by stirring in his seat. He stood, and looked at everyone. "In a dream, I saw the Eastern sky grow dark but in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying 'You're doom is near at hand! Isildur's Bane has been found!' Isildur's Bane..." With each word he spoke, he stepped closer and closer to the Ring. With his last words, he reached forth his hand to touch the Ring, to take it. Elrond jumped to his feet in alarm. Gandalf stood and opened his mouth to speak.

"Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk, agh burzum-ishi kripatul!" The sky darkened and Aralin closed here eyes in pain. She had never heard the Black Speech before, and as soon as she did, she wished she hadn't. It was terrible and painful. Boromir sat back down and looked around in shock. WhenGandalf stopped speaking, the sky grew bright and clear again and Aralin opened her eyes. Elrond was glaring at Gandalf angrily.

"Never before has anyone uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris."

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil!" he exclaimed, mostly at Boromir, but also at everyone present, lest anyone think of using the Ring against Sauron.

"Nay, it is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring?" Gandalf stared back at the Man incredulously. Boromir stood again and looked at the entire council accusingly. "Long has my father, Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy! Why not use it against him?" The idea seemed like a good one. Let Gondor have the Ring so they can destroy the enemy and free Middle-Earth of evil. But Men were easily seduced by power. Even now, Aralin could see a strange light in Boromir's eyes, a fervor that hadn't been there before. He was already falling under the Ring's spell.

"You cannot wield it! None of us can!" Aragorn cried out. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Boromir glared at him.

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Elrond calmly looked at Boromir.

"He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn and he is descended through many fathers from Isildur, Elendil's son. He is chief of the Dunedain in the North, and few are now left of that folk." Boromir seemed amazed.

"Aragorn? This," he gestured to the Ranger. "Is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor!" One of the Mirkwood Elves, Legolas, exclaimed. Boromir glared daggers at the Elf and Aralin felt herself becoming angry at the man for disrespecting one of her kin.

"Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no King." the Man said before siting back in his seat. There was another silence, an uncomfortable one as the Elves look distrustfully at the Men, and vice versa.

"What news of Gollum?" Aragorn asked, breaking the silence. "What have the Mirkwood Elves agreed shall be done with him? He has suffered much and I would be glad to hear that he is imprisoned and nothing more, safely kept by the watchful eyes of the Elves. His malice is great and I am sure he could work much mischief if he were free. " The Elves looked extremely uncomfortable suddenly, and none seemed to want to speak. They did not meet the eyes of the rest of the council, save one, Legolas, who had a look of great distress on his face.

"Alas! The news I was sent to bring must now be told. Gollum has escaped."

"Escaped?" cried Gandalf. "How? How have the Elves of Mirkwood failed in their trust?"

"Not through lack of watchfulness, but perhaps through over-kindliness. And we fear that the prisoner had aid from others, and that more is known of our doings than we would like. We guarded this creature day and night, but we had not the heart to keep him ever in dungeons under the earth, where he could fall back into his old black thoughts."

"You were less tender to me." Grumbled Gloin, remembering his time of imprisonment in Mirkwood. Aralin scowled again and crossed her arms, wishing that the Dwarves were gone from the council. With only a glare to signal the Elf's irritation at the interruption, Legolas continued.

"In the days of fair weather we led Gollum through the woods, and there was a high tree standing alone from the others which he liked to climb. One day he refused to come down and the guards had no mind to go after him, so they sat by the tree far into the night. It was that very night that Orcs came on us unawares. We drove them off after some time but when the battle was over we found that Gollum was gone and his guards were slain or taken. We failed to recapture Gollum."

"Though this news is ill, it is not grievously so.However Gollum is not the first of our concerns. We must decide what is to be done with the Ring. Aragorn is right, we cannot use it."

"You have but one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Elrond said.

"What are we waiting for?" One of the Dwarves, Gimli yelled. He stood up and brought his axe down on the Ring, hoping to destroy it. But it had the opposite effect as he was thrown backwards and his axe lay in pieces.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here posses. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this." The entire council was stunned into silence.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. It's black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breath is a poisonuos fume. Not with ten thousand men can you do this. It is folly." In Aralin's opinion, that was the only sensible thing Boromir had said. Go into Mordor? It was a suicide mission bound to fail! She was determined to be the one to take the Ring there.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas cried out, standing up. "The Ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli yelled. The Elf glared at Gimli with distaste.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" The council was beginning to become out of control.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli yelled. The other Mirkwood Elves stood up and started arguing with the Dwarves, who had also stood up. Aralin stood up as well, thoroughly insulted by the Dwarf, and her voice joined in the chorus of those voices already arguing. Even Gandalf, wise as he was, began to quarrel with the Men of Gondor. The voices were so loud that no one heard the small Hobbit speak at first.

"I will take it!" he was ignored by all. "I will take it!" This time, Gandalf turned around and regarded Frodo. "I will take the Ring to Mordor! Though...I do not know the way." By this time all the arguing had stopped and everyone was watching the Hobbit.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." the wizard stood behind Frodo, his hands on the Hobbit's shoulders. Aragorn rose to his feet.

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." he kneeled in front of Frodo. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow." Legolas said, standing behind Frodo.

"And my axe." The Dwarf stood next to Legolas, who scowled slightly.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor shall see it done." Boromir said, standing with the growing group of doomed travelers. Before anyone else could speak, Aralin stood up.

" As shall Imladris. I would be shamed to stay behind when my skills could be put to good use protecting the Ring-bearer." she stood with the others.

"Hey!" a voice cried out, and soon Sam was seen running to Frodo's side. "Mister Frodo's not going anywhere without me."

"No, indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond said, an amused smile on his face.

"Wait! We're coming too!" Merry and Pippin, two more Hobbits ran to stand with Frodo. "You'd have to send us home tied in a sack."

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing." Pippin said, wanting to sound important.

"Well that rules you out, Pip."

"Ten companions. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Elrond said, looking at what would be known as the Fellowship. Two Men, two Elves, a Dwarf, a wizard and four Hobbits. The most unlikely companions would now rely on each other to live through the next year.

"Great!" Pippin exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

Now, to reply to your reviews!

**_I.H.N: _**Thank you for the advice! And don't worry, Aralin is not the most amazing fighter to ever grace the lands of Middle-Earth. And there will be no prophecies (I hate those things in LOTR fics!) and Aralin will certainly not be the center of attention. And did I really say that she lived in Mirkwood? Jeez..a Freudian slip...lol. Yeah, she lives in Rivendell...sorry about that! And I don't think that Elves are sexist, it's just that her father doesnt want her to be in danger. It's not that he thinks females being warriors is a horrible, unthinkable thing. He doesn't want her to get hurt and he's willing to do or say anything to dissuade her from her chosen field of interest. And I'll definitely try my best to keep this story true to the book and movie and not make some really sappy romance story. I hope you keep reading!

_**Lindelea: **_to answer your question, Aralin is beautiful, after all, all Elves are beautiful. BUT she in no way rivals Arwen or Luthien, you get me? As far as Elves go, she's pretty average looking.

**_FlamingMushrooms: _**Yeah I know what you mean about the papargraph thing. It gets on my last nerve. "_you're not going to make her into the ultimate warrior that defeat Legolas and a legion of orcs with both hands tied behind her back, right_?" LOL! Absolutely not. Don't worry. And I won't steal lines from other characters. Aralin is my creation and as such, all her lines will be my creation as well. And thanks for the "she-elf" suggestions. I really appreciate it! I hope you like this chapter, but if you don't I promise the next one will be better! BTW, I love your username!


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